Jamahiriya (Libyan) news agency
The Leader Muammar al-Gathafi considered that the big reservation regarding the Iraqi resistance, is from the formal and organizational aspect, that is not declaring its official identity, and no presence for its legal body before the world, and is disguising under other slogans.
| Doesn't want to buy a pig in a poke, huh? |
" The Iraqi resistance of the foreign occupier is legitimate, particularly so since the occupation lost its justification for entering Iraq; after acknowledgement that WMD which was the reason for entering Iraq is nonexistent and Iraq is free of it" the leader said. "What are the reasons which led the Iraqi army, Baath Party, Saddam Guerrilla, or the Republican Guard, if they went underground to resist the occupation, not to declare their identity, and instead disguising under other slogans?" He wondered. " When such names as Mohamad Army, AlMehdi Army, Ali Army, Tawheed Army, or La Ilaha Ila Allah Army, etc. Such names do not give a legal entity to the resistance before the world". In this respect, the Leader stressed that the issue between the Iraqis and the Americans not one of religious dispute or a religious problem, but an issue of occupation, an aggressor and assailed, irrespective of the two parties' religions.
| Except that the Bad Guys are cutting people's heads off in the name of their religion... |
| ... and they've got this thing about exploding car-bombs around schoolchildren, too. |
He urged against the use of religion in the resistance of occupation in Iraq, because resisting the occupier is a legitimate right of any people whose land is occupied, so it becomes its right to fight the occupation forces. " It is a natural, legitimate and sacred right of self-defense, which not only decided after the establishment of the United Nations which provided for the legitimacy of this right in article 51 of its charter, but ever since human history got to know the phenomenon of foreign forces occupation of others countries. The leader pointed out that what is going on in Iraq now is extra judicial execution by both parties. Both parties did not commit themselves to the rules of the war nor by Geneva agreement. The occupier justifies such a thing by saying the party it is facing has no identity, and it is exercising terrorism not legitimate struggle. He stressed that such a thing is irrational, and no one would accept people to be annihilated in this way. The Leader stressed the need that the Iraqi resistance distance itself from any thing that may label it with terrorism, and should have a known official and legitimate identity; it should be united with an address and leadership, and fight legitimately with out terrorism in order to gain international recognition, and protect itself by virtues of international laws, so that its caught members would be treated as prisoners of war not as criminals as is the case now.
| Figure the odds on that, Muammar... |
" This even in order to negotiate with them as was the case with the known legitimate resistances, which defeated the occupiers and forced them to engage into negotiations" The leader pointed out. " All resistances of occupation in history had leaderships and addresses and eventually were engaged in negotiations , such as the Vietnamese and Algerian resistance as well as the Partisan resistance led by Tito in Yugoslavia, and the jihad of Omar al-Mukhtar in Libya, the African National Conference in South Africa, Mandela and his comrades, ZANU in Zimbabwe, SWABO in Namibia and Frelimo in Mozambique, Mau Mau in Kenya, the resistance of the Russian army against the German occupation in the Second World War, as well as the French and Digoul resistance of the same occupation and the same war" the leader explained. |